5 months ago
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The Story truthful far
Secondary Grade authorities schoolhouse teachers successful Tamil Nadu person been protesting since December 26, 2025, successful Chennai highlighting the wage disparity among teachers wrong their wage grade. Organised by the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association, implicit 20,000 secondary people teachers attached to authorities schools crossed the State person been demanding ‘Equal wage for Equal work’. Scores of teachers person been detained by the constabulary during the protestation connected a regular basis.
Why are they protesting?
Secondary-grade teachers appointed earlier June 1, 2009, person a basal wage of ₹8,370. But those appointed aft that day lone person ₹5,200. At present, post-2009 appointees gully a monthly wage of astir ₹20,600, including allowances, compared with astir ₹28,950 for those appointed earlier. Teachers constituent retired allowances are linked to basal pay. With the implementation of each Pay Commission, the wage disparity has widened.
The disparity present amounts to implicit 12-yearly increments showing a quality of astatine slightest Rs 16,000 arsenic the allowances specified arsenic dearness allowance and location rent allowance were linked to basal pay. The teachers person been demanding this wage disparity beryllium resolved. The duties betwixt the simple teachers appointed earlier and aft 2009 remains the same. They request that a authorities bid resolving this anomaly beryllium issued.
How agelong has this been going on?
Teachers person been protesting wage quality since 2014. The demands are besides portion of the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTTO-GEO), an umbrella outfit. This time, successful the archetypal signifier of the protests, the teachers went to enactment wearing the “Equal Pay for Equal Work” request paper from December 1, 2025. In the 2nd phase, they held a rally throwing airy connected the request successful their respective districts highlighting the contented that has been neglected by successive governments. In the 3rd phase, the teachers person gone connected an indefinite strike.
What has been the government’s response?
In 2010, a one-man committee nether the past Industries Secretary Rajiv Ranjan was constituted to survey the disputes wrong wage scales crossed grades successful authorities employees. While galore grades of authorities employees recovered relief, secondary people teachers continued to stay astatine the aforesaid wage scale. When the Seventh Pay Commission came into unit successful 2018, different committee was formed to look into the wage anomalies. This clip too, thing came of it. During these protests, erstwhile M.K. Stalin, the incumbent Chief Minister, was the Leader of the Opposition, helium supported the teachers and promised to resoluteness the issue. This assurance besides recovered a notation successful the DMK canvass manifesto during the 2021 elections. However, 4 years since the enactment came to power, the contented continues.
In 2023 erstwhile the teachers continued to protest, the State authorities formed a three-member committee with the Finance Secretary (expenditure), Principal Secretary of the School Education Department and Director of Elementary Education to code their issues. The Committee has since submitted its report. When the teachers staged a protestation successful September past year, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi held talks with them. Yet, nary enactment has been taken.
What lies ahead?
The Tamil Nadu authorities and its School Education section are yet to respond to the demands of teachers. Various absorption parties including the AIADMK, BJP, PMK and DMK’s allies specified arsenic the CPI and CPM person travel retired successful enactment of the teachers’ protestation and condemned the constabulary enactment connected them. The JACTTO-GEO has announced a onslaught connected January 6 seeking fulfilment of assorted demands including the contented astatine hand. As schools are acceptable to reopen aft the Christmas abrogation connected January 5, the teachers vow to proceed their protests. The authorities has its task chopped retired successful an predetermination year.
